


A World Without Woes

by Hellsonlyrose



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Double Penetration, M/M, Palace Shenanigans, Possession/Hypnosis, Tentacles, persona 5R spoilers, seriously who makes tentacles a major part of a palace what did they expect
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:40:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24003742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellsonlyrose/pseuds/Hellsonlyrose
Summary: Ren Amamiya goes to Maruki's palace alone in order to change his mind about this 'perfect reality'. The doctor promises to give Ren everything he could possibly want; he doesn't count on that being him. Self-indulgent smutfic, tentacles, and shadow Maruki. College-aged AU set in Maruki's utopia.
Relationships: Kurusu Akira/Maruki Takuto, Maruki Takuto/Persona 5 Protagonist, Ren Amamiya/Maruki Takuto
Comments: 9
Kudos: 167





	1. A soul laid bare

The man in the white lab-coat clasped his hands together, the two of you speaking in an impressive, well-funded auditorium. It had suddenly appeared in the city, and it seemed as if you were the only one of all your friends to retain any memories to the contrary of this… so called “utopia”. You’d done what you could to get them to realize the impossibility of things, but hardly anyone thought twice when confronted with the truth. So here you were, alone. You weren’t giving up on Maruki though; you could help him come to his senses.

“What is it you desire? I can carve reality to meet your every will- I can create a happiness you would never have the chance to achieve on your own. Try as people may to overcome the injustices in the world, it isn’t possible for everyone to attain the same level of happiness… until now, that is.” Dr. Maruki smiled gently, his expression reminiscent of the times you spent in his office, always laughing, always listening, always…

You find your eyes lingering on the way his crooked smile lights up his face as he continues; you’d always admired the way he spoke so passionately, yet so casually around the issues that you spoke.

“You could live a life where you were never unfairly branded a criminal. One where you never had to fight with your life on the line… that sort of thing can severely damage the psyche. Haven’t you ever wondered what your life would’ve been like had you not been put through such trauma?”

Of course, you had thought about it. But that didn’t matter- it wasn’t real. You’re thankful for the life you live, the friends you’ve made. This is what you’d all been fighting for. You shook your head, determined. You’d already decided what you wanted.

“All of your friends have made up their minds as well. Loved ones cruelly taken away, suddenly there to hold, to laugh with, to celebrate. Your friends are happy, and you can be too.” Dr. Maruki rested his chin on his hand, playfully.

“I can grant you all kinds of things. Anything you wish for, I could give to you. I have that kind of power, you know!” His sing-songy voice betrayed the severity of what it is he was asking of you. Your heart’s true desires? You were certain that the reality that you and your friends had created for yourselves was the one you truly wanted.

Dr. Maruki sighed. “Don’t frown like what I’m saying is a bad thing. You’ll get wrinkles!” He gave a laugh, slowly approaching. “You’re young. The concept of desire is still immature for you, so let’s break it down together, okay?”

You clench your fists, Dr. Maruki isn’t someone you want to consider dangerous… but this place. It was wrong, it was… Just what was Dr. Maruki capable of? With his gentle voice, and his soft face; even with his hair slicked back and a meticulous attire, he was still the same Maruki everyone fawned over… wasn’t he?

You clear your throat to speak, as the doctor sits down cross legged in front of you, and pats the floor beside him. After a moment’s hesitation, you take a seat as well.

“I’m happy the way things are.” You wanted to sound confident, strong, angry even… but sitting with Dr. Maruki was all too familiar, it sounded like an open discussion; a friendly conversation. Far too similar to sitting in his office, chatting casually over snacks.

If the doctor is phased, he doesn’t show it. “Of course, you’re a strong individual Ren. You have a way of adapting to any situation, and making the best of things. I’ve always admired that about you!”

His compliments ease your mind. It’s still the same old Dr. Maruki, you just need to get through to him. The same kind, charming, intelligent doctor you’d known for nearly a year now.

Maruki leaned back, supporting himself with his palms to the floor behind him. “But you know, everyone has something they’d want in life. It doesn’t have to be some earth-shattering desire, or stem from a trauma. Most people’s desires are rooted in any of seven sins; I’m sure you’ve heard the term ‘seven deadly sins’?”

You nod, thinking back to the palace owners in the past. Every person’s palace had grown from these ‘will seeds’, the ambitions of the rulers.

“These sins,” Maruki continued, “are not always as twisted in some as in others. You’ve interacted with so many people who have… shall I say, mentally tunnel vision. These people allowed their desires to envelop them. They built their lives and their personalities around a desire for something that they didn’t have.” He frowned. “Every human has a healthy amount of desire, and that’s perfectly normal. If we can help them realize those base desires, people wouldn’t become distorted. Nip it in the bud, so to speak. Does that make sense?”

You don’t reply right away, because it made perfect sense. But that doesn’t mean that what he is doing is right- there’s a line between helping people, and rewriting the entire world. You inhale deeply, exhaling everything you can, hoping somehow a proper response will come to you. It doesn’t, so you mumble.

“It doesn’t feel right.”

Dr. Maruki laughs softly, sitting up and turning to face you better. “Here, maybe it’s better that I give you a demonstration. It’s difficult to fully grasp the possibilities of what humankind can achieve unless you experience it for yourself!” His smile widened, and he places his hands on his knees in a child-like excitement. “What’s something you want, think about it simply! Gluttony? I can give you any food that you desire. No calories! Greed? Haven’t you ever wanted to not have to think about money?” He brought his hand to the back of his head, fumbling with his awkwardness despite his enthusiasm.

“Or how about lust? Y-you could have anyone in the world, they would be happy to have you however you wanted, and for however long.” He paused and met your eyes with a playful curiosity. “Anyone come to mind?”

You knew he was waiting for a reaction. That’s what psychologists are trained to do, read and react to your own unexpressed thoughts. You had always been aware of this; during some appointments this instinct was strong enough to make him think that the doctor was able to read your mind… and that would have been a disaster.

The corner of Ren’s mouth twitched just slightly, the bob of his throat as he swallowed catching Maruki’s interest. “There’s no one.” You speak, forcing himself to keep a calm demeanor as you smiled.

Maruki’s cheeks stiffened, suppressing his own smile, lest his words be misconstrued as teasing. “It’s perfectly normal to be having those kinds of thoughts, at any age, but especially your own. If I recall, you don’t have a girlfriend, do you Ren?”

He knows you don’t. You’d told him everything about you- almost everything.

“I truly want you to be happy. I’ll show you, no shame. Just a preview of what could be, should you choose to be a part of my reality.”

_This is bad. This is really bad._

“Think hard Ren, think about what, or who,” he added with a smile, “you desire the most. I promise, I only want you to be happy. No judgements here! You’re safe.”

You scramble up, lunging toward him desperately as he snaps his fingers. “No, WAIT!”

Everything goes white.

When your vision clears, the doctor is still sitting in front of you, mouth parted and eyes wide, staring over your head. Your head feels fuzzy, something is holding you back by the shoulders, and it starts kneading its’ hands into the muscles there.

Your surroundings seem to glow with a colored aura, everything the same, but with a constant background buzz. Everything except for the doctor, whose puzzled expression stays fixated in your direction.

“What… is this?” You mutter to himself.

You let out a sigh when a particularly sore muscle is pressed, the tension leaving your body. What is touching you? Your desires… was it a massage? _Please, for the love of all gods let it be Kawakami._

You feel a soft chuckle and warm air close to your ear, and freeze up as you hear the sensual whisper. “I can make you feel _true_ happiness, you know.”

“It’s…” Dr. Maruki clears his throat, drawing your attention forward. He can’t seem to find the words for the situation.

_Please let this all be a dream_

“There you go. Just relax~” The voice behind you purrs, the voice that unmistakably and undeniably belongs to one Dr. Maruki. The strong hands on your back felt intimate, the Doctor watching on in stunned silence as he himself works you over.

What excuse could you possibly give? Ever since your first dream about him, you couldn’t put away those perverted thoughts. Every time the two of you were together, alone, you couldn’t help but imagine what the doctor might be capable of really making you feel. “I… this is…”

The real Maruki turned his gaze away from his doppelganger down to you, and you felt your face burn up even more. “You- w…wanted _this_?”

The doppelganger chuckles, one hand moving from your shoulder down to your collarbone, and then making its way up to your neck. You can’t help but shiver as it pulled you back against its chest; it’s warm. Positioned between its legs, your body is basically pinned to the thing while Dr. Maruki stared on. “You’ve wanted me so badly… I’m gonna give you everything you desire.”

Your thief attire disappears in a flurry of white and blue flame, leaving you in your typical jeans and T-shirt. Without the extra layers, you felt a lot more exposed to those wandering hands.

“That’s a good boy. You can be open with me, there’s no need to be guarded~” Its other hand trailed down to tease your nipple through your shirt, sending a shock down your body. Before you can repress it, you let out a soft moan as it runs its’ finger over it with more pressure.

“This isn’t- I don’t! Hhhaa…” Your eyes squeeze closed from the pleasure as its other hand finds your other nipple, giving it a playful squeeze.

The doctor shifts his seated position, opening his mouth to say something but finding himself unable.

“Don’t you want to show the doctor what a good boy you can be?” The doppelganger purred. “You always thought about it. You wanted me to see the real you, a little slut that needs a good pounding.”

“That’s not true-“ Your voice is cut off by a hand roughly grabbing at your throat, hot words being spoken in your ear and making you melt.

“You’ve thought about me getting rough with you too, haven’t you?” It ran its tongue across your skin, making you shudder. “What if Dr. Maruki had a hidden sadist side, would he bend me over his office table and spank me for keeping so many secrets, for being a part of an illegal organization right under his nose? I want to be punished by him~” He mocked.

It wraps a hand around you and flips you effortlessly onto your stomach, bent over its knee. “Let’s make your happiness a reality, Ren.” It yanks down your pants and brings his hand down hard on the exposed skin of your ass.

You yell out in surprise after the first hit, barely registering the stinging aftermath before it brings its hand down on you once again. Your yelps dissolved into lewd moans as he continued, smacking that same spot, the pain of the punishment sending heat straight to your groin.

“You love this, you’re getting off to being disciplined by your counselor.”

Every word spoken in his voice made your insides squirm. Hearing Dr. Maruki sound like… _that,_ it was something straight out of a wet dream.

The sound of being spanked was embarrassingly loud, as were the sounds it was dragging from your lips. “Nnngh, p… please!” You managed to squeak out.

It stopped, rubbing a gentle hand over the sore area. “Please what?” It cooed.

You hadn’t been able to think that far. Dr. Maruki was the only thing you could focus on, the real doctor. Shame heated your face a deep scarlet, your deepest perversions displayed right in front of the man. You needed to get out of this position, you needed to focus…

The doppelganger laughed devilishly, “Such a dirty phantom slut, turning on two men at the same time.” 

Maruki shuffled uncomfortably in his spot, bringing his hands down in front of his pants. “This is… It’s not-”

But it was. Despite his futile efforts to cover himself, you could plainly see the doctor’s erection straining against the fabric of his pants.

“Why don’t we continue the show? The voyeur seems to be enjoying himself as well.” With a snap of his fingers, the clothes you were wearing vanished, leaving you shamefully exposed. He nudged you off of his knee, setting you down to all fours, eyes forward and facing the real Maruki.

Soft lips pressed to the sore area on your backside where you’d been hit, soothing kisses trailing down and making you tremble. “W-wait.. That’s…” Its wet tongue ran over your sensitive spot, making your body quiver. “F-fuck, h-hold on… haaa-” It continued licking you, your hips instinctively bucking forward from the intensity.

The doctor also let out a soft moan, his breathing quickened from watching himself perform such a lewd act. He shouldn’t be watching something so private… and yet he couldn’t bring himself to tear his eyes away.

“You’re such a naughty boy Ren, practically dripping onto the floor from having your asshole eaten out.” It licked you deeper and you nearly lost your strength, your cock twitching and begging to be touched. “How about how much you’ve fantasized about being filled? I wonder how thick he is, I wonder how much he would stretch me while he fucked me senseless?” It pressed a finger against your sensitive spot, and you cried out as he pressed in further.

“Look at the good doctor, he can’t stand it anymore. Poor thing!” You opened your eyes to see the doctor palming himself through his pants, a deep lustful shame written on his face as he quickly avoided your gaze. The doppelganger pressed into you deeper, your voice coming out high and pathetic as hit wet finger pushed in and out of you more easily.

Your dick was absolutely throbbing, dripping precum and begging to be touched. “Fuck, god…” You watched as the doctor touched himself to you, the both of you giving in to your mutual desires. Seeing him get off to the sight of you was making your head spin.

The doppelganger added a second finger, sending a new wave of pain and pleasure through your body as you cried out again. “Hhhaaa~”

This amused the thing, pushing into you harder and faster as your moans became louder and your words more broken and slurred with pleasure. You could feel yourself edging closer, nearly hitting your peak as it pressed into that spot inside you again, and again. “Shhhit, I-I’m gonna…”

It pulled out of you suddenly, leaving you aching, your body shaking and desperate for more. “Awww, I bet you really wanna cum, don’t you?” It teased.

It was hard to breathe, your brain was so fogged with lust. “Please, I’m so close please, just a little more.” You didn’t care how you sounded. You could barely think a coherent sentence, your whole body felt like it was on fire.

The doctor in front of you had yanked down his own pants, stroking his cock to you, a desperate, begging mess. “Shi-Ren I…” He whispered between heavy breaths, his thickness only making your own lust far worse. “I need to…”

“Why don’t you be a good boy and put that pretty mouth to good use, and then we’ll think about letting you cum.”

In a flurry of movement, large glowing tentacles snaked out from the floor, snapping around your wrists and ankles. Their warm, slimy surfaces gripped hard, and you yelped as they yanked suddenly, lifting you up off of the floor, your limbs stretched apart. Your glasses fell to the floor a few feet down, and you struggled to lift your head to meet the real doctor’s gaze. You didn’t have to strain your eyes; he approached, dick in hand.

You swallowed thickly, the doppelganger giving your ass a squeeze as the doctor positioned himself in front of you. He inhaled sharply looking down at your naked, helpless form, but hesitated. “You… want this?”

The doctor’s cock was thicker than he’d imagined, a dribble of precum leaking from the tip just inches away from your tongue. The room already smelled of sex and sweat, clouding your mind until the only thing you could think about was taking dick.

“He asked you a question.” The doppelganger brought a hand down on your ass, and you cried out in ecstasy. You couldn’t take it anymore, you needed to cum, your body was hot and aching and _begging_ to be touched.

“Yes, please, God I need it, please let me taste you…” You couldn’t raise your head enough to see the sharp inhale, or the way the doctor bit his lip as he took a single step forward towards your restrained self. He had no words- you didn’t need any, you stuck out your tongue and licked the salty precum off the top of his dick, earning a muffled moan when you took the tip between your lips and sucked.

The doppelganger gripped you tightly, and you felt his dick rubbing up and down the rim of your ass, teasing you. “There you go, that’s a good little slut.”

His words and his rubbing made you moan, the vibrations earning more of those delicious noises from the doctor as you sucked him harder. “Oh god, Ren…”

Your technique was sloppy, you couldn’t move your hands or move your head much, and thankfully, the doctor soon weaved his hands in your hair and grasped firmly, slowly pushing himself in and out of your mouth.

“You love this, getting face-fucked by your counselor. You dreamed of being used and abused like this; being talked down to like all you’re good for is being a good fuck doll.”

Your stomach tightened as the doppelganger slowly pushed himself into you, and you cried out around the doctor’s dick as he sheathed himself.

The doctor was coming unraveled, his hips bucking against you harder as he yanked mouth further on him. “Your mouth feels incredible.” He was trembling, barely letting up enough to let you breathe.

The dick from behind was shoved into you again, this time arching up and hitting a spot inside you that had you seeing white, you practically screamed as the pleasure hit you in intense waves, your cum splattering to the floor as you cried out wordlessly. “Aaaah, hhhaaaa…”

The doppelganger furrowed his brow, smiling wickedly. He brought up a hand and snapped his fingers, and the tendrils which had restrained you twisted around, flipping you around until you were suspended, facing the ceiling. You could see the doctor’s face now, his breathing labored and sweat accumulated on his forehead… and his dick, still throbbing hard right in front of you.

“Who gave you permission to cum?” The doppelganger purred, as more tentacles reached up and twisted around your spent dick.

“W-wait I can’t- please!” The orgasm left your body painfully sensitive, your nerves alight with bright spasms as they touched you. You squirmed as much as you could against them, crying out in a voice much higher than your own as yet more tentacles appeared and rubbed themselves over your nipples. “It’s too… aaH! Too much, ssshit…” 

The doctor’s thumb brushed over your cheek, and snapped you back for only a moment before his dick filled your open mouth. “S-sorry, I can’t take it…”

The doppelganger seemed satisfied with this prerogative, wrapping his hands around your thighs before roughly shoving himself back into you also. Two dicks inside you, two men groaning and fucking and using you as they pleased.

You shouted, the tentacles jerking you to full hardness again despite your body’s protests. With them touching you there, your nipples being touched, and your ass and mouth full- you couldn’t move. You could barely breathe, all you could do was lay and get fucked like… like some sort of…

“Fffuck, you’re so tight. I’m gonna fill you up so good you’re not going to be able to walk.” The doppelganger was hitting that spot again, pounding It over and over again. He knew exactly where to touch you to turn your words into drivel and helpless whines.

The doctor fucked your throat roughly, a slurry of swears and moans pouring sweetly from his mouth as he pounded you. “Ren you’re so good, fuck I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna cum-“

The tentacles squeezed at your dick, precum leaking down your cock and onto your stomach. It didn’t hurt anymore, it felt otherworldly- you were losing yourself in this pleasure; something in your mind was breaking and there was nothing you could do about it. There was nowhere you’d rather be in the entire world than here, being fucked by these two men.

“He wants to be all filled up with cum. He’ll take it all, go ahead and cum down his little whore throat.”

“Oh Christ, Ren! I’m- aaahHaa…” The doctor shoved himself into you deeply, the hot, salty cum shooting into your mouth and throat while he fucked it clumsily and roughly.

Behind you, the doppelganger gave a final thrust and came undone inside of you as well- and that was all you could handle. The tentacles pumped you up and down and you screamed through your blinding orgasm, your whole body shaking and trembling as you rode out the waves of pleasure, covering yourself with your own cum.

You were barely aware of the doctors pulling out of you, their seed leaking out of you lewdly as the tentacles lowered you down to the floor. A sticky, sweaty, cum-covered mess.

The doctor kneeled down beside you, wiping a wisp of hair from your eyes.

“Well.” The doppelganger hummed. “If you so choose to stay in this reality, I’d be happy to indulge you again~” 

Your head lulled to the side, barely registering the sight of a familiar blonde boy, half tucked away behind a nearby podium. “Ryu…ji?” You mumbled, but the hand running through your hair brought your attention back to the doctor.

You couldn’t keep your eyes open any longer, you were losing consciousness. You heard a snap of someone’s fingers, and vaguely felt yourself being picked up, your arm draped around a strong shoulder.

“I’ll keep you safe.” Maruki spoke softly, his brow furrowed with too many emotions.

…Even in utopia, he had a lot of thinking to do.


	2. Keep a (Straight) Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to change from second-person to third-person writing for this and subsequent chapters! I hope that it still reads okay <3 Thanks for sticking around!

The walls were lined with bookshelves, unsorted with papers tucked away in various chapters. Sticky notes, notebooks, and pens all littered the books and the shelves themselves, adding to the organized chaos that was Dr. Maruki’s apartment.

The table, the counter, the side-desk; there wasn’t a surface in the house which wasn’t covered in notes or papers of some kind. The doctor had shoved everything off of his couch, at least, as a place to host the barely conscious Ren after helping him take a shower. He was sleeping now, curled up under a blanket Maruki had yanked off of his own bed. He couldn’t remember the last time it had been washed, but it was the best he had.

_‘Okay. We’re going to calm down and think about this rationally.’_

The doctor walked into the kitchen, browsing through his cabinet to find a floral, porcelain mug. He set it down with shaking hands, the bottom of the mug striking the countertop, and making him jump.

_‘Alright. Tea, tea… where did I put that damned tea?’_

His heart was racing, the tight feeling in his chest making him start to panic. He spotted the small box of tea up high, stacked on top of soba and crackers. He reached a hand up and grabbed it, the small of his finger knocking a bag of pasta and sending a few items crashing down onto the countertop.

He growled loudly, gripping his other hand on the countertop and grinding his teeth. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, he wasn’t… he was just pent up. It’d been so long since the last time, since he and Rumi…

_Rumi_

He rifled through his hair, forgetting the box on tea on the counter and trying to breathe. Maruki was okay with being bi, he had known that for quite some time. The age gap between him and Ren was concerning… but Ren was 20- that wasn’t horrible. There wasn’t anything to actually panic about and yet that unknown was making the attack worse; why was he so agitated?

Maruki slumped down against the counter, resting his head on his arms. He was never going to get Rumi back, it wasn’t like sleeping with somebody else would actually change anything.

…but why did he feel like it had?

* * *

Ryuji Takamoto: College athlete; couldn’t run as hard as he wanted due to a previous leg injury, but became a well-liked member of the track team due to his friendly and outgoing personality. He was certain that this was the life he had always dreamed of- his physical therapy was going well, and there were even a few notes in his locker at the end of the day. Life was good… until Ren showed up.

_“Don’t you feel like this is all a little too convenient?”_

Ryuji had felt a sear in his mind, the world becoming fuzzy and two-toned, just for a moment. Memories that weren’t his own flashed in front of him, and he gripped his head in pain.

He sent Ren away, laughing it off with his friends… but he remembered.

A few days later, everything around Ryuji seemed to have lost its luster. His friends were happy, his circumstances were far better than they were before, but he knew they were wrong. When he finally gathered the courage to go to Leblanc, the cheerful Futaba said that Ren had said he was going to Odaiba.

The familiar sight of black shaggy hair and glasses were a welcome sight in the distance, and Ryuji pardoned himself between many people to head in that direction. Where was he going? There was only an empty area close to some run-down construction site… or… a giant glowing building? Had this been just another attraction of the park, but when was it…? His mind pulsed again and he nearly lost his balance, as he heard the nostalgic voice from his smartphone.

-Beginning navigation-

His head felt like it was filled with sand, and his body ached against the hard floor. “Where…?” He muttered, opening his eyes against the harsh light. It was like a doctor’s office, but enormous. Everyone was wearing too much white, and people’s faces looked… not quite clear. Ryuji’s eyes widened as he pushed himself up to stand, taking in his surroundings.

“The hell? Is this… a palace?” He held out his hands and looked down, his stark-yellow loves confirming his suspicions.

 _‘Tch. I don’t understand any of this.’_ He looked around the room, eyeing a long hallway ahead. _‘I’m not as strong as Joker, but I’ll just have to make it on my own until I find him.’_

He walked forward, heart beating fast as he passed by various shadows of different sizes. To his surprise, none of the shadows he encountered along the way were hostile. In fact, they were nothing short of helpful to him, trying to find his way inside. He swallowed, strapping his metal pipe to his back and moving forward, cautiously following their directions. If it was a trap, at least he could hope that Joker was within shouting range.

At the entrance to the next area, he felt an undeniably strong presence. He quickly hid himself behind the wall, pressing his body as flat against it as possible. He exhaled, his adrenaline rushed through him as it had so many times in these situations before, as he tried to stay calm. Intel. Intel, right? That’s what Joker would say- find out what it was that was over there, and then look for a way around. There was no way he could take on a powerful shadow all on his own. His ears perked up as he heard a voice, a familiar voice…

_Joker?_

“W-wait.. That’s…”

That voice is definitely…

“F-fuck, h-hold on… haaa-”

Ryuji brought a hand to his mouth, his face turning pink. Of any situation he could’ve imagined, this was far from what he had been prepared for. The sounds coming from the room were Joker’s lewd cries, and yet he could definitely sense a shadow’s presence from further in. Did he just… walk in on joker’s idea of a thrill? Did he bring someone to a palace just to have sex?

Ryuji heard another voice, and his veins froze with ice. “You’re such a naughty boy Ren, practically dripping onto the floor from having your asshole eaten out.”

_That… that voice! That couldn’t be, there’s no fucking way-_

He tightened the hand on his mouth, eyes wide with disbelief. It was the councilor, the one they’d all been sent to go see. And Ren was… gay?? Ryuji’s head was spinning, trying to make sense of it all. Joker was doing… The thing Joker was doing.. Did that even feel good for a guy? He caught his breath catch, hearing the dribble of high-pitched moans coming from his best friend and respected leader. Fuck, he could feel his body getting warmer, clenching his fist at his side. Why was this making him feel hot? He’s a dude. He’s the same old Ren, just need to calm down… _‘I should, just get out of here…’_

He felt like a pervert, coming here and listening in on Joker’s fling… boyfriend… whatever this was. He could just silently go back to that first waiting room and find the exit himself, maybe find Joker later on and, shit, he didn’t know. Try to forget what he saw?

Ryuji furrowed his brow. He could just make sure Ren was okay. Just… make sure that shadow wasn’t too close by. In fact, he could be a lookout! Only for a second. That’s all it would take to see whether or not his leader was in danger. He nodded with self-resolve and slowly peeked around the corner, paralyzed when he saw not one, but two of the same councilor.

His heart raced, a hundred options of how to proceed buzzing through his mind. His arms were shaking, afraid for his own safety, afraid for his leader, afraid of… his own thoughts, processing this.

_That’s a… shadow, right? Or… shit, what was the word Morgana always used… cognition?_

He could see his leader from the side, the cognitive Maruki pushing his fingers deep inside of him while the… real? Maruki pleasured himself.

 _Oh man… this is some kinky shit. Is this… even safe?!_ Ryuji bit his lip, his breathing getting heavier as Ren started begging for more, in a voice that was just like a girl’s. This was bad- he could feel himself getting hard over another guy, over his best friend, no less.

He nearly yelped when the tentacles appeared, restraining his leader helplessly between the two men. Fuck, it was like something right out of a hentai mag, except this person… Ryuji shouldn’t be-

Ren screamed when the cognition’s dick was shoved inside of him, and Ryuji let out a soft hum under his breath. He pushed himself against the wall, gently appreciating the friction between the surface and his hard dick. He shouldn’t be doing this, this was absolutely, downright wrong but… he couldn’t stop himself. It was getting him off, every squeal and moan the leader made, the slick sounds of a dick pounding in and out of him, and then Maruki, getting up to join in.

His precious leader was getting fucked in both holes, and Ryuji shamefully stuffed his hand down his pants, yanking himself off with a hand on his mouth barely suppressing his own groans. God, the way Ren stuck out his tongue and looked up at the doctor, so eager to be used and so… vulgar. It didn’t take long for Ryuji to be set over the edge himself, cumming hard into his own hand. When he looked up, Ren was already flat on the floor, his face turned directly towards the blonde.

He spun around and hid behind the wall as quickly as he could, a new fear striking deep into his soul. Had he been seen? What would Ren say about his voyeurism?! He was mortified enough as it was. With shaky legs, he pushed himself forward and ran as quickly as he could back down the long, straight hallway, ignoring the sticky mess in his hand.

He’d just have to not look Ren in the face for a few years. That’s all. 

* * *

Ren slowly blinked away the fog of dreamless sleep, eyes adjusting to an unfamiliar ceiling. He winced as he turned over, his backside protesting any kind of movement. _‘What…?’_ He froze and his stomach dipped as the memories from the night before returned to him, his heart starting to race. He’d shown _that_ side of himself to Dr. Maruki, and then… Flashes from the scene overwhelmed him, the shame and lust at the memory pooling together. He gripped his stomach, trying to overcome that sick feeling of guilt. God he’d completely lost himself, not even trying to fight against it, completely… abandoning his goal just to get DP’d in a palace. He brought a hand to his head, scowling at his lack of resolve. And now- now…

 _‘Where am I?’_ He wondered, pulling the blanket down off of his shoulder. It smelled vaguely like sweat and men’s cologne, which probably points to one person, given where they’d left off…

Dr. Maruki stepped into the room, wearing a graphic T-shirt and grey sweatpants. It was strange seeing him in something so casual. His smile faltered when he noticed Ren was awake, but he did his best to keep it on in his presence. “H-hi! Uh, good morning?” His face was red, and his brows knitted together self-consciously. “Are you… um. Are you okay?”

Ren sat up slowly, hissing at the pain that came with adjusting his position as Dr. Maruki sat down on a nearby sofa. “Yeah. Never better.” He spoke sarcastically, his voice laced with strain. _You reeeally overdid it._

Maruki laughed half-heartedly and took a deep breath, weaving his fingers together. “If you can joke, I’ll take that as a good sign.” He pondered his words a moment, letting out a deep sigh. “I ah- I was… really shocked, when, well yesterday, when I wanted to show you a demonstration it wasn’t my intention to… I didn’t mean…”

“It’s fine. I’m… sorry.” Ren interrupted, saving the doctor from his stutters.

Maruki raised his brow, looking up at him. “Sorry? No, you have nothing to be sorry about. I’m the one who… did those things to you…”

Ren swallowed, doing his best to stay focused. “That… was fine. More than fine, honestly. It’s not like I can lie to you about why it happened. I wanted it.”

A dozen responses came to mind, and a dozen responses were left unspoken. The doctor pursed his lips, watching the leaves blow by his window. Sex was such an integral part of psychology, humans are moved by it, driven by it, _broken_ by it. Losing your mind to something that he’d studied so intricately; he knew all of the pitfalls of desire and yet he couldn’t help but fall prey to it in a vulnerable moment. It was pitiful.

Ren continued. “But… I can’t just- keep living in a fantasy. No matter how happy things seem, it’s just…” His voice trailed off, and he looked away, embarrassed. “Something feels wrong about it, somehow.” He wiped his face with his hand, exhaling deeply and looking down at himself. He was even wearing what he assumed to be Maruki’s clothes, a T-shirt and boxers.

The doctor cleared his throat. “It’s a lot to process. Let’s just… slow down. Go spend time with your friends, hang out at school, see what you think of things around you. I just think… now may not be the time for making decisions.” He could barely look Ren in the eye, with that attire and the bedhead.

Ren sighed defeatedly, hanging his head low. He couldn’t have a serious conversation while wearing Maruki’s clothes, in any case.

Maruki clapped, taking a stand. “Let me take you home. We can talk more at our session on Tuesday, since the school’s still mandating it. It’ll be a convenient space for us to talk.”

_Convenient. Sure…_

Tuesday, three days from now. Ren had to figure out what he wanted before then.


	3. The Life of a Four Eyes

That night, Ren had dreams. Depraved, lustful dreams of the Dr. Maruki chaining him up against the wall, grinning at his futile resistance. Maruki’s tongue ran slick across bare skin, making him shiver and squirm.

“You belong to us now.” He stated, eyes clinical, piercing, and golden. He moved his gloved hands up and cupped Ren’s cheek, moaning into his ear while his body grinded against his student’s. Ren closed his eyes, turning away from him and rattling the chains against the concrete wall.

Maruki kissed Ren again and again, running his fingers through the boy’s hair gently. “Please don’t be like that… let me help you.”

Ren dared to look, finding himself lost in those dreamy brown eyes once again. His hair was softer; and fluffier, like he’d seen him at school. “Maruki… sensei?”

He chuckled, rubbing his nose against Ren’s. “Who else? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me already?”

“N-no, it’s just, your eyes…”

“My eyes? What about them?” He blinked, and Ren gasped and struggled as empty, black sockets stared back at him where eyes should be.

“J-Jesus-!” Ren yelled, tears forming as he fought the chains to get away from the monster. “Help- HELP!” It laughed, moving closer until Ren could feel the hot, humid breath of the thing on his face.

A single blue butterfly fluttered across his field of vision, freezing all else in place.

 _“He’s becoming more powerful.”_ A soft, feminine voice spoke. Ren struggled to keep from hyperventilating.

_“He is taking control of you through your desires, even if it is subconsciously.”_

Ren grabbed at his head, knowing there was something he was forgetting. “Who are you?”

_“No one is immune to desire. You’d best remember that.”_

Ren blinked again, and time had begun again, the butterfly nowhere in sight. A scream caught in his throat as he found himself face to face with the being once again. Multiple tendrils burst out from the thing’s back, dripping with black slime and poised to strike. Ren trembled, begging broken words through his tears. The thing unfurled its tongue, long and black and dripping with that viscous slime, moving forward to press it to the boy’s lips.

“No- NOOO!” He screamed and sat up quickly in a cold sweat, clenching his sheets between shaking hands. Home… he was home? He was safe… He took deep breaths, trying to ground himself, and to forget that _thing_.

“Hey what’s your deal man? Nightmares?”

Ren turned, eyeing the dark-haired boy stretching out on his couch. That’s right… Morgana was a human now. He wore a T-shirt and boxers, with a thin cotton blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Ren exhaled deeply, trying to calm his poor heart.

“Y…yeah. A pretty brutal one.”

Morgana snickered as Ren got up. He pointed in Ren’s direction but turned his head the other way, a scandalous smile on his face. “Must not’ve been two bad. Go take a shower or something ya perv.”

Ren looked down at the tent in his pants, and gasped. “S-sorry!” He stuttered, hurriedly turning around and yanking clothes out of his drawer. Just what the hell was that dream about? He was already forgetting parts of it, memories lost to the subconscious as most dreams tend to do.

“It’s cool. Mornings, it happens.” Morgana waved him on passively, and Ren walked quickly by to get to the shower. He could still hear the “cat’s” snickers from the bottom of the stairs. _…Asshole_

The rest of the afternoon passed by uneventfully, much to Ren’s relief. After finishing a plate of curry Sojiro prepared for him, he received a text from Ore no Beko- the beef bowl shop in Shibuya.

_Ore: Can you come in tonight? We had a callout._

_‘Might not be so bad to stay busy.’_ Ren thought as he thumbed his response.

_Ren: Sure, I’ll be right over._

* * *

Donning the usual green apron, Ren moved the towel in circles against the counter, doing his best to stay busy despite the relatively dead night. Figures, as soon as he gets called in, the shop clears out. If he’d said no, he was sure the shop would’ve been jam-packed. That’s just the way life seemed to work.

“Welcome”, Ren spoke as the bells of the door alerted him to a customer. He turned around to meet those familiar brown eyes behind black frames. Maruki stopped abruptly, brow raised at meeting his student in an unfamiliar place. “Well. I wasn’t expecting to see you here, of all people.” The doctor was dressed in black slacks and a dark brown sweater, a red scarf draped loosely around his neck. He shrugged playfully and handed Ren his order ticket, taking a seat in front of him.

Ren put on his best customer service smile, his heart beating faster in his chest. “Thank you. We’ll have this right out.” He hoped that his actions didn’t seem as stiff as they felt, as he became hyper aware of every movement he was making. He nearly dropped the ticket as he tried to hand it off to the chef, cursing himself silently for getting so worked up over just seeing a person.

Maruki laughed. “No need for formalities. I’m just here because my usual place was closed- some gas leak that needed to get inspected. Bad luck, huh?”

“That’s rough.” Ren commented, unsure of what he should say to the doctor. _Hey how about this weather? Hey how’s work been? Hey how about that mouth-fuck the other night, wild, right?’_ He grimaced, spraying down the bar-style counter for the third time that hour. Conversation; he could do it. Just had to focus.

“Do you eat out a lot, Maruki-sensei?” Ren tried, instantly freezing up at his own double entendre. He made sure to scrub another counter extra hard, turning away from the doctor.

If Maruki noticed, he was a saint for not calling him out on it. “Unfortunately, yes. I do enjoy cooking, but I tend to get so into my readings that I forget to eat until it’s too late at night to make anything. It’s not the healthiest thing, but everybody has their flaws!” 

Ren hummed. Most of the adults he knew of had horrid, inhumane flaws. Forgetting to eat until late was probably the most innocuous he could think of. 

Maruki spoke up again, apparently not the type to enjoy the silence. “Three customers, huh? Jeez.”

Ren threw his cloth into the soapy bucket behind the counter, and turned to Maruki, nearly yelping in surprise. The man was smirking at him with piercing yellow eyes.

“Three’s a fun number. Don’t you think so, little slut?” Maruki ran his tongue over his lips, drinking up the shades of red Ren’s face became at his words.

Ren stumbled, his eyes shifting back and forth to the other customers to make sure they hadn’t heard. “W-what?!” He hissed, digging his nails into his palm. His shirt collar suddenly felt far too tight around his neck, heat rising to his face. He blinked, and Maruki stared up at him with concern knitting his brow.

“I said ‘three’s a crowd’. I was being sarcastic… are you okay Ren?”

Ren blinked a few more times, taking a deep breath and running a hand through his hair. “Y-yeah. Sorry. I think I’m just… tired.” Maruki’s eyes were brown, the same as they’d always been. That stupid nightmare must be stuck in his head, that’s all.

Maruki frowned. “Make sure you get enough sleep. It’s really important for people of any age, but those your age especially.”

“Thank you.”

“I mean it Ren. I just… I care about you. Okay?”

His head hurt. He decided not to fight it.

“…Okay.”

* * *

School was a welcome distraction the next day, Ren meeting up with the rest of his friends and talking casually about all of the excitements in their lives. Haru managed Big Bang Burger’s new line of cafés, just a few small shops until she finished university. Makoto was well on her way to becoming a welfare advocate, fighting the system to help those less fortunate get the help that they needed. Ryuji has been training to become an international athlete, and Ann had moved abroad in order to further her modelling career. Yusuke continued his art studies at a specialty school, and Futaba was doing well at Shujin. Everyone seemed so happy… Ren did his best to just go along with it all.

“So come on Haru! Tell us how the date went?”

“Well… he’s very cute and sweet. I’m not sure it’s going to be anything beyond that, though.”

“Don’t hold yourself to anything you’re not serious about. You’re busy enough as it is!”

Ryuji groaned loudly. “MANNN, why am I the only one here who’s single? This sucks…” He pouted, hanging his head.

Makoto and Haru turned to him. “Eh? Ren’s single too. Did you forget?”

Ren pursed his lips, eyeing Ryuji.

“Heh…” He scratched at the back of his head, trying to cover up his pause. “Of course! Yeah, haha. Lonely man’s club, amiright?” He pat Ren on the back far too hard, the beat striking through him with a loud THUMP.

Ren waved away his suspicions, an aggressive smile splaying on his face.

“Ha. Yeah, but at least I’ve got options. Unlike this guy!” Ren jumped up and drilled his fist against the blonde’s hair, despite Ryuji’s cries of protest.

The girls scooted away from the playful violence and hid their laughter behind slender hands. Nahh, Ryuji was the same old Ryuji, and Ren was the same old Ren. He just needed time to slow down, and stop being so freaked out about everything. The two of them joined in the laughter, enjoying the rest of their lunch break on the rooftop under the sunny sky.

* * *

Ren walked into the school bathroom with a spring in his step, face bright with contentment. He was lucky to have such good friends… friends that spanned any timeline. He looked in the mirror, his smile fading slightly. He would have to make a decision about that soon.

He stepped into the stall and closed the door behind him, letting go of a long sign. He jolted in surprise as a gloved hand grabbed him by wrist and twisted it behind him, the other wrapping around his mouth as he was slammed chest first against the wall. 

“Hello beautiful~” Dr. Maruki’s voice purred, his breath hot against Ren’s ear.

“Mmmmf!” Ren struggled, and the doctor yanked his arm up higher, pain shooting through his shoulder at the awkward angle.

“Come on baby, don’t be like that. I came to see you!” He leaned in closer and sniffed Ren’s hair deeply, exhaling with satisfaction. “You look great. I missed this body...”

The lines of the world were shifted, colors dancing in Ren’s vision. He felt weak; he’d have fallen if the wall weren’t supporting him. Maruki slowly loosened his grip on Ren’s wrist, which fell limply beside him.

“See? You want this. You’ve aaaalways wanted this~” He moved his hand down to cup Ren’s ass, sliding lower and rubbing the spot between his legs.

Ren started to melt into his hands, his face flushed red and his body becoming sensitive to every touch. Ggggod he was pathetic, barely a minute in and he was already this hard, his body responding immediately to the hands attending to him.

“I bet you’ve been craving my cum, haven’t you? You want to be filled again?” He snaked his hand around, dipping into the front of Ren’s pants and wrapping around his cock.

Ren whined against the hand while Maruki jerked him, the gloves feeling kinky and perfect and oh-so like the doctor that’d visited his dreams for months. His moans were coming quicker, and he grabbed the wall in front of him for stability as his hips bucked forward shamelessly.

 _Christ_ this man was unravelling every part of him, he could feel his mind slipping away as every part of his body ached to be used and abused, his mewls and moans only spurring the Doctor on to touching him faster. The rest of the world disappeared in that moment, just him, the hands wrapped around him, and the hard dick pressed up against his backside. He _did_ want to be filled, he wanted to be fucked and used and have the doctor tell him what a _good boy_ he was for doing what he was told.

Ren’s begging was muffled as his climax built, his strength sapped, his body being used as the doctor’s rag-doll. The thought of it turned him on more, his eyes squeezed shut and his back arching in pleasure.

“Ohhhh the things I’m gonna do to you. I’m gonna chain you up, I’m gonna keep fucking you until you cry and beg me for mercy. I’ll fuck you so good, you’re going to _worship_ me.”

Ren was close; the doctor’s hushed, dirty words pushing his body and his mind closer to orgasm. His breathing was becoming erratic, his body trembling and weak against the doctor’s touch. Just a little more, just a little bit more…

They both froze as the creak of the bathroom door opening snapped them out of their act. Ren felt his head pulse with intense pain, the hands around him vanishing just as suddenly. He yelled out, losing his balance and crashing backwards, his head colliding _hard_ with the stall wall on the way down.

“Holy shit dude what was that?!” A voice cried, running towards the stall. “Are you okay?!”

Ren’s vision faded in and out of darkness, spots dancing in front of his eyes. He groaned, the searing pain now radiating from the back of his head where he crashed. He looked around the stall with blurry vision, blinking in disbelief.

“I’m gonna get the nurse! Just stay there!” He student’s footsteps grew quieter as he ran out, leaving Ren to his migraine, body slumped helplessly on the dirty bathroom floor.

He tried to breathe normally, the heat from before gone from his body and replaced with a throbbing pain. He felt like he was going crazy; maybe he already had. There was no reasonable explanation for it, even during all his trips into the palace and the metaverse, nothing like this had happened before.

He’d felt every touch, he’d heard every word, far beyond that of any illusion, and yet, in that bathroom stall he was undeniably…

_Alone._

* * *

Maruki sat back against the black office chair, chewing his lip. He couldn’t seem to stop thinking about Ren- in more shameful ways than he would admit. He brought his hands to his temples, as if he could rub the thoughts from his mind. Ren… was an enigma. He complicated things. Maruki wasn’t supposed to have desires of his own; he was supposed to fix everyone else’s. _That_ was supposed to be his desire.

He sighed, his shoulders stiff from hours of thinking, racing towards a finish line that he could never cross. He didn’t know if there was a goal, every train of thought just circled back to Ren, Ren, _Ren_. The boy with the handsome face and the smooth words. It wasn’t as if it’d never crossed his mind before, but those were just… one-off fantasies. But now that he’d lived through one- he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to stop thinking about it.

He furrowed his brow, shuffling papers around on his desk just to pretend like he could distract himself. He could un-do this. There had to be a way to start this over, he just had to… undo things. That was possible… right? It had to be.

The idea made him lonely, a familiar ache in his heart. Lonely with his own memories of people who would never know what he did. Would never know the experiences they’d shared with him. He frowned, hitting the papers into a neat stack and putting them away in a drawer. He’d be meeting with Ren the following day anyways; he had the night to think about whether or not to give the boy fair warning of what was to come. If Maruki had come to understand anything, it was that ignorance is bliss.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, a welcome reprieve from his thoughts. His expression became puzzled, his thumb hovering over the text notification from… himself. _What the…?_ He opened it.

Maruki: Don’t work too hard. I’m taking care of things on this end~

Maruki: attached file: 74638198.jpg [Download]

His frown turned deeper into a scowl as he re-read the words. Was this some kind of a prank? Or spam? The return address matched his own- he would occasionally text himself notes or reminders for himself to see later, but he was certain that he hadn’t sent himself anything that day. He tapped his thumb against the side of his phone case, his overly-curious mind spurring him on.

He pressed the download button and the image came up not a second later. Maruki gasped and clasped his hand over his mouth, eyes wide in disbelief.

_No… this can’t be…’_

A knock on his door made him jump, and he threw the whole phone into his drawer and slammed it shut, answering with a shaky voice. “Y-yes! Door’s open!” The student stepped in, excusing herself for coming to see him unannounced. Maruki faked a smile and told her not to worry, welcoming her to take a seat on the sofa while he went to fetch the two some drinks.

In the drawer, his phone buzzed again.

Maruki: I knew you’d like it ;)

The image was seared into his mind. He was barely able to follow the words of the girl across from him, giving back generic ‘hmms’ and ‘my, mys’, and all-encompassing general life advice. He shouldn’t be here. There was somewhere else he needed to go, needed to urgently fix a fatal flaw in his perfect plan… he just didn’t know how.

That image followed him for the rest of his workday, Ren being fondled helplessly against the bathroom wall, while sly, golden eyes stared mockingly into the camera.

The doctor swallowed hard, daring himself to look again.

‘I knew you’d like it…’ He re-read the words, panic and shame running through him as his eyes wandered back to that attachment.

_Because he did like it. Very much._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading so far! I started a discord for thirsty Maruki fans, I feel like there are enough of us starving for content to make it worth it: https://discord.gg/fJBZSnb  
> I'm sort of new to this discord thing so go easy on me! <3  
> -Rose


	4. The Maid of Your Dreams

Ryuji ran up the stairs in his house, throwing open his door and tossing his schoolbag on his bed. He threw himself down against the sheets, hands clasped over his stomach, and let out a long exhale. The day had been long, slow, and boring… recently he didn’t feel like trying anymore.

He turned to his side, staring at the same old posters he’d memorized every line of years before. Everybody else knew exactly what it was they wanted. Everybody else seemed to fit into that perfect puzzle of life; everybody but him. Memories of the past plagued him, he couldn’t tell what was real from what was… some sort of dream? He wasn’t sure. He brought his hands up to his chest, curling up.

He should talk to Ren. He needed to talk to Ren- if anyone knew what was going on with things, it was their leader. But… what the hell was he supposed to make of him entering a palace that nobody else seemed to notice, and pulling that sexy magic trick with two of the same dude, who just so happened to work at their school?? But there it was and here he is, and he hated to think there was some convoluted story behind it all.

He took out his phone, scowling at the red and black eye staring back at him from behind the screen. Maruki had a palace. Joker knew about it. Joker was… fucking him. Reality was messed up in more ways than one.

Ryuji groaned, pulling his arm over his eyes. This was too confusing; he wasn’t the type of guy to put the pieces together. Fatigue rubbed at his eyes and he didn’t resist, pulling his blanket halfway over him before drifting off into a deep, restless slumber.

“Wake up.” A voice spoke, clear and direct. Ryuji slowly blinked open his eyes and looked ahead, the back of Joker’s thief attire a few feet in front of him. Where… was he? He looked around, the room around him nothing but an endless space of color. Red and black swirled and spun, rising and sinking into nothingness. Nothing but Ryuji, Joker, and the ground beneath them.

“Wh- Joker?”

“You have questions.” He did not turn around, instead staring out unto the vast expanse beyond them.

Ryuji scowled. “Yeah, actually. Can we talk face to face?”

The figure remained still.

“I said turn around man, what’s wrong with you? What is this place?” He became frustrated, pushing himself to his feet. “Don’t ignore me man, why won’t you tell me what’s going on?!”

“I will fix this place. It is something only I can do.” His voice was soft and unconcerned, as if speaking to Ryuji was an afterthought.

Ryuji paused, taking in his leader’s words. “I don’t… understand. What are you trying to do? Let me help.”

“Ryuji Sakamoto. You are a liability.”

_A- a liability?_

The air vibrated with a thick energy. Pain shot through his skull and he covered his ears, falling to his knees as the air thrummed painfully around him. KNOCK IT OFF! He screamed, and opened his eyes.

His mind raced and his mouth fell open as he looked around him. Seated at a table with a menu in front of him, the glaring pink wallpaper covered in tiny white hearts overwhelmed the senses. Okay- he was dreaming. This was a… weird fucked up dream. Somehow, knowing that didn’t make it any better.

“Hello Master~ Have you decided what you desire today?” Ryuji looked up towards the voice, stunned, his best friend staring him back in the face, batting false eyelashes and smiling with perky, pink-glossed lips. Ren had donned a full-on maid’s dress, complete with colored contacts in lieu of his typical dorky glasses.

“W-w-what the hell is this?” Ryuji stuttered, sitting far back in his chair.

Ren smiled. “This is a café catered to fulfilling your desires, Master~ I’ll ask that you please look over the menu. I am here for any questions you might have about any of our offerings today! Nya~”

Ryuji could feel himself starting to sweat. This sort of place… who the hell had the courage to come to a creepy place like this?? What the hell kind of dream was he having?! “I ah- Ren, I think there’s been a misunderstanding, I should probably go…”

Ren skitted to Ryuji’s side of the table, placing a lacy, white gloved hand on his shoulder. “Come on now Master, please don’t make me cry.” He pouted. “Just take a look okay? I promise to make it good for you!”

Ryuji gulped. Ren was wearing perfume. His skirt was fluffed far up his thighs, only white tights obscuring what might be underneath. _This is so fucked up._

Ren opened up the menu in front of him, squeezing his shoulder with a giggle. “Shall I read it for you Master?”

“N-nnooo th-th-that’s okay! Actually, I just realized I left my wallet at home!” Ryuji swallowed, his face a deep crimson as he looked over the pages. Each item was listed with an accompanying picture, featuring Ren performing a different lewd act. _Holy shit dude_

“We have basic courses, of course! The blowjob course, the handjob, reverse cowboy, even doggy style. Woof~” Ren’s sing-songy voice taunted his friend. “We also have some naughtier add-ons for our more perverted guests. Is that the kind of Master you are Master?” He held his hands in front of him like paws, posing with a wink.

Ryuji’s mouth was dry. Whatever shred of respect he had for his leader melting away into… kitty-maid fantasies. Christ if he didn’t switch dreams soon he was gonna remember this when he woke up, and that’d be a nightmare of its own.

“Well Master? We also have masochism, sadism, two-for-one, food-play, voyeurism, and good vibrations~”

Ryuji inhaled sharply. The photos explicitly showed Ren either bent over, tied up, or lying down with his legs spread wide open, revealing his most intimate spots as he enacted every fetish. Ren had posed for the camera with that same sex-crazed expression that he remembered in the palace. Like he never wanted to do anything else but get slammed by a thick cock. He shivered, eyeing a particular image with Ren bent over, the loop of a vibrating bullet sticking out of his pink panties. He looked like he was losing his mind to the feeling, tongue sticking out lewdly, ready for whatever else was to come. 

Ren chuckled, his voice low and sultry once again. “Gotcha. Coming right up~”

“WaiT-” Ryuji tried to yell, but it was as if his voice had been sucked out of him, the whole room flashing a bright white. When his vision cleared, everything in the room was exactly the same… save for a single, pink remote control in his hand.

He saw Ren across the room carrying a tray, serving drinks to another table. He caught Ryuji’s eye when he turned around, gave him a quick wink and stuck out his tongue, and strutted back toward the kitchen.

The remote was currently set to zero. Ryuji blinked, understanding exactly what kind of a situation he was in. He gripped the remote tighter. He was stuck in this stupid dream. Seeing his best friend dressed up all sexy and cute, in his favorite maid’s dress, no less. It was a dream. Nobody else had to know about it… He’d probably just forget about it in the morning, right?

He stared at the remote. It wasn’t as if his decisions actually mattered _._ He looked up at Ren, who was running his fingers through an older man’s hair, occasionally glancing back at the blonde with that same playful grin.

_Tch. Fuck it._

He pressed the button labelled “two”, and saw Ren visibly twitch in surprise. The maid’s smile grew coy, and he left the table with a final pat to the man’s head. Ren returned to the kitchen quickly, speaking quietly to Ryuji as he passed.

“Naughty Master. Trying to make me feel good in front of all these people~” Ren’s voice was still sultry and full of confidence, something Ryuji had always lacked. His heart raced faster as he pressed his thumb to another button. “four”.

The next tray Ren brought out was full of food for a table of four. The maid’s lips were pursed, her golden gaze focused on the task ahead. Ryuji felt a surge of delight when he saw Ren’s thighs quiver, trying not to drop the heavy plates.

Ryuji’s smile widened, and he sat back comfortably in his chair. He could get used to this. “six”.

He could hear Ren’s shaky exhale from across the room, his knees squeezed together as he handed off the third and fourth plates. His face was entirely flushed pink, biting his lip to keep those sounds from pouring out of him.

Ryuji was hard, and he didn’t care. He was going to knock the leader down a peg. He wanted to see him on his knees, wet and begging and _pleading_ for him. “Oi, you there!” He called, beckoning Ren with a finger. Ren walked carefully towards him, every step making his face contort just enough for Ryuji to tell. He had power over Ren. He felt like he could hold the earth in his hands.

“Y-yes Master? How can I further serve your desires?” He stated, his voice no longer intimidating /or/ sarcastic. Ryuji loved every moment of it.

“Quit paying so much attention to the others. Aren’t you going to serve your Master?”

Ren put on a great customer service smile, cupping his hand around Ryuji’s cheek. “Are you the jealous type Master? I think that’s very cute of you.”

 _Heh. I’ll show you cute._ “eight”.

“Nghh!” Ren faltered, catching himself by his hands gripping the edges of the table. “Hhhaa… P-please be more gentle with me!” He stabilized himself on Ryuji’s shoulder, leaning down until their faces were centimeters apart. His voice was becoming desperate. “Ma- master… people will hear!”

Ryuji raised a brow at his maid. “This is just a dream, right? So who cares. I’m gonna do whatever I like.” He grabbed Ren by the forearm, making him yelp as he pulled him down to his level. He kissed Ren sloppily, tongue diving into the other’s mouth, small moans vibrating against his own lips. He tasted good, like sweet sugar and candy. He wondered how many other people had tasted these lips. Right now, it didn’t matter.

“Down.” Ryuji commanded, pulling Ren to his knees beside his own chair. He inhaled a shaky breath, drinking in the sight of Ren, panting and blushing helplessly at his feet. It made his chest feel tight, as he reached a shaky hand down to the zipper of his pants.

_It’s just a dream. You can do whatever you want._

He pulled out his cock, pumping it in front of Ren’s curious eyes. Ren’s lips parted, eyeing it like his last meal before looking up at his Master. “Can I…?”

Ryuji nodded, setting aside the remote. He gripped the arms of the chair hard as Ren’s tongue slid over the underside of his dick. “Hnnn…” He whined, staring down at the dark-haired maid while he licked all over the head, sweet mewls of his own adding to the sensation.

“Goddd, that’s good. Keep licking there.”

Ren’s moans were growing louder, the others in the restaurant whispering and pointing at the two of them. “M-master, I think I’m… at my limit!”

Ryuji frowned, pushing him back. “Not yet… I wanna fuck you.” 

_It was his dream, he wasn’t gonna let it go to waste._

Ren smiled at his Master and slowly stood up, making a show of slowly pulling his panties down . Ryuji’s eyes followed the lewd fabric, wet with precum, as they fell around Ren’s ankles. “Master, can you help me with this thing first? I want to feel Master inside of me instead~”

The blonde gulped and licked his lips, stunned at the way Ren could say such lewd things without breaking character. He wrapped a finger around the plastic loop of the vibrator and pulled back slowly, watching for a reaction. Ren’s face contorted and he let out a loud, vulgar moan, and it sent heat right down Ryuji’s spine. _Christ_ nothing else mattered anymore except fucking Ren into a screaming, mewling mess. The toy came the rest of the way out and Ryuji threw it aside, standing up and slamming Ren down against the tabletop.

“M-Master, please… give yourself to me.” Ren groaned, reaching back and spreading himself apart for his Master.

Ryuji let out a small noise, heart racing in his chest. He spat into his hand and pumped himself a few times, lining himself up against Ren’s asshole.

“Master, say it! Please be mine~ All mine, and you can fuck me as much as you want…”

Ryuji pressed the tip of his dick against Ren’s warmth, holding the others’ hips steady. “I’ll do whatever you want if you stay just like that and let me fuck you.”

Ren’s eyes flashed, a grin growing widely across his face as Ryuji pushed into him _hard,_ any previous apprehensions quickly disappearing in a haze of lust and desperation.

“Master! Thank you!! T̶͎̎̑̊̃̈́̚ȟ̴̨̧̹̯̻͕̆̋͝ả̷̗̝̂͊̍͐̒n̸͖͑͛͘͘k̸̯̄̃͛͋ ̸̲̹̹̝̂̈́̓͗͝y̴̡̯͖͖͇͊̎ơ̶͙̼̪̮̿̓͝ų̷̙̳̼͙̃̅͘ ̴͎̼̺̲͐͗̓̑̒̀ͅs̶͚͐̉̑o̴̩̭̱̹͗̑̚ ̵̻̪̪͑̀̓̆̚m̵͍̲̺̘̄̃̀̇͛͠ǔ̶͈͓̯̺̤̀̾̈́̈́̚ċ̴͕̯h̸͎̬̰͋͒͝͠”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking around! We will get back to our scheduled Maruki-goodness in the next chapter. <3 Look forward to it!


	5. All That Glitters is Not Gold

“Welcome back sir, thank you for your hard work” the shadow greeted, bowing her head deeply. Maruki nodded, continuing past a sea of white lab-coats, white walls, and piles of paperwork. He used to feel so comfortable here; he spent days at a time inside of his own palace, tending to everyone’s woes. Now, his paradise was sullied- there was an _invader_ , a snake in his blissful refuge. He had to stamp it out before things got even more out of hand.

He scanned every room he passed briskly, watching for anything out of the ordinary. It was twenty minute later, in the third floor waiting room that he found his target.

“You finally came~” the voice purred, swirling a glass of red wine in its gloved hand. It sat legs crossed on the white leather couch, labcoat sprawled out against the cushions. “It took you longer than I expected.” Its chin was turned up, hair slicked back, and it smiled fiendishly at Maruki.

The doctor swallowed his apprehension, staring down his own face. “Who are you?” A stupid question, but one that needed a good answer.

The doppelganger took a sip of wine, licking the residue off its lips. “Who do you think I am, doctor?”

“You’re not me.”

“How astute of you.”

“You’re a cognition?”

The being raised its brow, drinking some more.

“You materialized from Ren’s idealized version of the world. You’re his cognition.” He said more firmly.

“I belong to no one” it cut in, eyes narrowed at the doctor. “but you are on the right track.”

Maruki took a seat on the opposite couch, back straight and tense. He wouldn’t let himself be caught off-guard. “This is my world. How is it you are still here, even though I do not will it?”

“Because you’re an interesting man, Takuto.”

“I didn’t realize we were on a first-name basis.”

“I am you. What’s the fuss in using honorifics in such a bizarre and beautiful situation?” 

Maruki scowled. The thing was so calm, it was infuriating. Still, all he could do was listen as it divulged what it would.

“You’re a special being, you must know this. You have powers over others’ cognitions, both inside and outside of mementos.” It paused, slowly sipping its wine. “So what would happen if that being accidentally summoned a copy of himself?

The doctor’s eyes widened, his fears coming out as barely a whisper. “You can control cognitions...”

A devilish smile spread across the thing’s face. “I simply give the people what they want, same as you, doctor.”

“We… are not the same.”

The being hummed, setting aside its glass on the side table, and folding its hands in its lap. “That is also correct. Your idea of paradise is weak compared to what I am prepared to give.” His lips parted, revealing his white, ‘just’ too sharp canines. “If someone wants food, I will give them a banquet. If someone wishes for a house, I will give them a castle! Why settle for mediocrity, when you have the power to give the masses more than they ever dreamed; that is what a _true_ God would do. That is what separates the two of us. I have ambitions for that world.”

 _A meal for a banquet. A house for a castle._ Maruki’s heart beat faster in his chest, his fight or flight instinct a growing static in the back of his mind. “You’re an amplifier.”

The being clapped its hands dramatically, golden eyes pointed, like a serpent poised to strike. “You’ve got that right doctor. I’m going to create an even better reality.” It dug its nails into the couch cushion, pupils narrowing. “And I don’t need you in order to make that happen.”

Maruki breathed faster, his throat tightening under the thing’s glare. He cautiously raised his hand in front of him slowly, fingers pressed together.

The being shrieked and lunged at him, knocking over both the wine and the table in its haste. 

With a shaky snap of his fingers, Maruki vanished in a flash of white. He fell to his knees in the field outside of the palace, arms and legs trembling.

_He’d created a monster._

* * *

Ren stared at his alarm clock from under his bedsheets, mind hazy and blurred from a lack of sleep. An hour before his alarm was set to go off… tch. He’d barely slept. He’d been seeing Maruki-sensei for months now, but their meeting took on a very different meaning this time around. He squeezed his eyes shut, pulling the blankets up over his shoulder.

He needed more information before he could come to a decision. He wanted to see exactly what it was Maruki was doing. How he was changing others- if they could come to an agreement of what was acceptable, maybe…

He imagined Futaba’s smile, sitting and laughing with her mother and Sojiro. Haru, discussing things rationally with her father. Ren grimaced, willing himself to curl deeper into his bed. Either reality is painful in its own right. But which one… was the best?

He pulled the blanket up over his head, the heat of his breath bringing comfort, and slumber to his body. Just a few minutes more…

His ringtone stirred him, shaking the last dregs of sleep from his mind. He yawned, eyeing the caller ID: Maruki-sensei. He blinked his eyes and sucked in a breath, exhaling before answering. “Hello?”

“There’s no time. Meet me at my apartment as soon as possible.” 

Ren cocked his head, noting the doctor’s breathlessness. “You mean… before school?”

Maruki raised his tone. “There’s no TIME for school! The whole world is in danger and I need your _help_.” His voice cracked on the last word, his desperation and fear snapping Ren to attention. Maruki had never showed his vulnerability, even when talking about the worst times in his life. Things must be incredibly dire for him to be calling so urgently. Whatever it was, it was bad enough that the doctor was willing to shatter Ren’s conceptions of his so-called ‘perfect reality’.

“I’ll be right there.”

* * *

Ren stared up at the faceplate next to the door, “402” written in bold black. The police would have a field day if they were to search the bag he held tight to his shoulder- a gun, a shiv, lock-picks, makeshift bombs… all replicas, of course. He doubted the police would care about that distinction.

He knocked twice, taking in a deep breath as footsteps approached the other side of the door. It opened quickly, and Maruki ushered him inside, locking it behind them. “Let’s sit down. We need to talk.” He led Ren to the living room, motioning for Ren to sit down on the sofa.

“What’s going on?”

Maruki ran his hand back through his hair, stress making him fidgety. He tried and tried to come up with a precise way to explain things, but every rehearsed word seemed to flitter from his mind. He stuttered out what he could. “W-well, the cognition is alive. Your cognition of me, I mean. And it’s powerful. And… I think it’s coming for us. And you. Err- I think it already has, maybe?”

Ren blinked, processing the dump of information. So he wasn’t hallucinating; it _was_ real. He explained the events in the bathroom to the doctor, glazing over the dirty specifics of what had happened.

“Hmm.” Maruki nodded, brow furrowed. “When you… when we created him. I believe he gained the same powers as I have, but he controls them in a different way.” He interlaced his fingers, slouching forward. “He is amplifying people’s desires, that’s his way of exerting control. I don’t know how much he’s capable of… but he’s been able to appear before you outside of a palace. I don’t have control over him even when inside my own palace, and it seems he has a fair amount of control over smaller things in the real world, such as mobile networks.”

“…Mobile networks?”

Maruki froze, that subject not one he wanted to dwell on for too long. “Yes w-well, I’ve been getting… messages from him. An untraceable number. I’ve tried. It just doesn’t exist.”

Ren frowned. “And did he say anything important? What his goal is?”

_No, he just sent a few pictures of you half-naked, bent over against a wall_

“He wants to control us, control everything.”

_And your tongue lolling out of your mouth while you get jerked off and fondled in the school bathroom_

“I… I don’t know how to…” Maruki gripped his hand against his forehead, gritting his teeth.

_And his delicious moans while he’s begging you to pound him harder_

Ren jumped to his feet and ran forward, shaking the doctor by the shoulder. “Sensei, HEY, are you alright?!”

Maruki grabbed hard at the fabric of Ren’s shirt sleeve, a thousand moments passing in a single second.

Ren gasped. The doctor’s face was soft and scared… his brown eyes dotted with bright yellow splotches, like stars in a hazy night sky.

“Get away-” Maruki hissed through his teeth, shoving Ren hard and sending him toppling backwards onto the floor.

Ren slammed into the floor and winced, barely having a moment to recover before Maruki was on him, palms slamming into the ground on both sides of his head. The man grinned down at him, eyes narrowed at his prey. “Hey doll, did you miss me?”

Ren’s face flushed red, the sudden proximity sending his mind racing. He pressed his hands to the doctor’s chest and pressed all of his strength into shoving him off. The thing rebounded immediately and caught Ren’s wrists with strength far surpassing any humans. “Bad boy Ren-ren.” He laughed, slamming those wrists back down onto the floor and holding them painfully tight. “And after all that time I spent thinking about you~” The gold in his eyes had saturated, now only a few spots of brown remaining.

Maruki brought his lips to Ren’s face, kissing his cheek softly and slow, pecking kisses down his face and to his ear, slowly making his way down to his neck. To Ren’s frustration, his body responded quickly. “You’re such a troublesome one, too full of fragments of yourself to let me in. Much too full.” He ran his nails lightly across Ren’s scalp, seizing a fist-full of hair and making him yelp. “I’ll just have to fill you in a different way.”

Ren shouted when sharp teeth bit down on his shoulder, the pain radiating as the man began to suck the skin there. No matter how hard he pushed, he couldn’t wiggle free of its’ grasp.

“I can read your every desire. The spots that make you weak in the knees, the words that make you a putty in my hands…” It brought its face down, brushing his lips over Ren’s nipple through the fabric of his shirt, earning a shudder from the boy underneath.

“You’re not sensei.” Ren protested, twisting his hands fruitlessly. “Get out of him!”

Maruki smiled, shimmying a knee in between Ren’s legs. “Oh? And I suppose you’re going to make me~” He nipped and sucked at Ren’s chest, drinking up the way the boy tried to stifle his moans in response. “You could join me. We could rule this place, create a paradise of pleasure and bliss.” He shifted his knee higher, pressing it directly against Ren’s hard cock. Ren arched his back, letting out a long breath.

“Get… ahh… out!” Ren clenched his fists, begging his body to stop grinding against that thing’s body. It felt so good, he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to think about something else, _anything_ else. “I’m not joining you! So- hnN- just… give me sensei.”

The smile faded from the man’s face, his mouth spread into a thin line. “I only wished to make you happy.” It paused a moment, staring directly into Ren’s eyes. “If you won’t join me willingly, then…” He closed his eyes, a soft smile resting on his face. Somehow, it was even more unsettling.

The moment he released his grip on Ren’s wrists, Ren reared an arm back and swung his fist _hard_ at the man’s face. It connected with a _CRACK_ , sending Maruki’s glasses flying across the room as he roared in pain, clutching his face. “You little SHIT!”

Ren scrambled to his feet, freezing up under Maruki’s dark, heated glare. “You think you’re better than your desires, is that it?” He’d never heard Maruki speak in such a hate-filled, spiteful tone. It chilled him to his very core, something he’d only felt in the depths of mementos. Ren shivered, his body unresponsive to every part of his brain screaming at him to run. “Perhaps you are. But is _he_?” 

“Don’t… hurt him.” Ren pleaded.

Maruki laughed. “Oh I wouldn’t dream of it. But I wonder how you’ll fare when you discover his true desires?” He raised his hand in front of his face, no longer bothering to hide the animosity on his furrowed brow. “We’ll amp things up, just to keep things fun. You know I love a good time! And I’ll be seeing you again soon~” He snapped his fingers, and his body instantly crumpled to the floor in a painful heap. 

“Maruki-sensei!” Ren shouted, lifting the man’s torso up by the shoulders and shaking him lighty. “Sensei, are you there? Sensei!”

Maruki groaned, slowly blinking open his eyes and raising his gaze to meet Ren’s. Ren never thought he’d be so relieved to see those brown eyes again.

“You’re back…” Ren sighed in relief, pulling in the councilor’s torso against his own, and wrapping him in a tight hug. “I was… worried.”

“Ren.” Takuto breathed, pulling on the boy’s sleeve. Ren pulled back to face the doctor and stopped, raising his brows at the sight. The man’s face was flushed red, his eyes lidded, his gaze pleading. “Ren I- something’s…” His eyes lingered on his student’s parted lips and he swallowed, unable to draw his attention away. “I- just…”

Ren’s heatbeat thrummed so fast in his chest, he worried Maruki could hear it. His disheveled teacher fallen apart in front of him, clearly mentally wrecked after the cognition inhabited him. Those needy eyes, that lost gaze…

“My body’s burning, I-I don’t know what he did to me.” He bit his lip, that look of concern in Ren’s eyes digging into parts of his soul he’d long since paved over. Turning away from the boy was like ripping off a band-aid; he had to leave quickly, or else he wasn’t sure what he might do. “I’m gonna… shower. Please just- give me a few minutes.” 

“O-okay” was the only thing Ren’s raddled mind could come up with. He took a breath in and watched Maruki’s back as he left, exhaling deeply as soon as he was out of hearing range. His own body still felt warm, both from the rush of being handled, and the adrenaline that still coursed through him. He ran a hand through his hair, sorting through his racing thoughts. He wanted Maruki to be okay- he still had it _bad_ for the guy, even more so now that they’d had such an… _intimate_ experience. And they were on the same side for now, against a very different kind of enemy. They needed to work together, much to Ren’s relief. The two of them had always had a lot in common, now they could add two more things to that list: mutual enemies and mutual… desires, it seemed.

Maruki nearly collapsed over the counter in the bathroom, breathing heavily, vision blurred. Whatever ailment the thing had left him with before dispersing, it had dolled up a heavy dose. His body felt _painfully_ needy, he could barely kick off his pants without falling to his knees under the strange pressure within him. He propped himself up against the sink, his other hand wrapped around his member. He let out a not-so-subtle moan as he started working himself, his mind absolutely blank to the pleasure which radiated from his very core. Touching himself felt like that sixth shot of alcohol at a party- his brain knew he should stop but he couldn’t control his body at all, the waves of euphoria rippling over him as he let those sweet, desperate sounds spill from his lips.

And then there was Ren. Maruki hadn’t even heard the door opening.

“MmF!” Maruki jolted in surprise when Ren’s lips crashed into his, desperate and warm and sweet. Tongues explored deeply, Maruki wrapping his arms around the boy for support and melting into his touch. a lustful, greedy, shameless display of desire.

“You shouldn’t… be here.” Maruki breathed between kisses, yet making no move to pull away.

“Maybe I want to be.” Ren planted his lips against Maruki’s neck, pressing his body against the doctor’s own. He could feel his hard dick against him and he grinded his body into it, pinning Maruki against the sink. “I want to help you.”

Maruki moaned, the friction and attention too much for him to bear. “God, Ren I’m your counselor w-we shouldn’t…”

Ren slid his hands down Maruki’s chest, kissing and licking down until he was on his knees, looking up at Maruki. “But I want to. Isn’t that what you want too?”

Sultry, but laced with self-conscious sincerity. Maruki’s knees practically trembled at the sight. Ren sitting in such an incriminating position, centimeters away from the doctor’s shameful… He swallowed hard, all of the proper things to say flitting away at the most inconvenient time. “I…” Ren’s lips were so pretty, so red and wet and _perfect_ from being kissed. “If you… want. If you want to it’s… good.” He couldn’t even construct a full sentence properly. Ren smiled so earnestly then, leaning forward and giving the tip of Maruki’s dick a small kiss before licking around the head.

Maruki threw his head back, groaning at the warmth and attention. Ren wrapped his hand around the doctor’s length, pumping slowly as he put his mouth over the tip, sucking gently. “ _Jesus Christ_.” Maruki whispered, every breath a slow whine as Ren worked him expertly. He ran his hand through the boy’s hair, losing himself to his senses. “You’re so good at this, ggggoD you’re incredible.”

Ren hummed in satisfaction, meeting Maruki’s gaze from below and smiling at the shudder he earned in response. “Didn’t you wanna shower, _sensei_?”

Maruki bit his lip, the honorific short-circuiting his brain. “NggggH!” He choked out, as Ren moved a hand to slowly caress his balls. He was sucking him deep and slow, running his tongue all the way to the base before pulling back, and Maruki could feel himself slowly losing his mind. “P-please, Ren if you keep doing that-”

Ren pulled his lips off of him, licking his lips as he continued with his hand. “Watching you come undone is really turning me on.”

Maruki placed a hand over his mouth, but it didn’t do much to suppress his desperate mewls.

“Cum for me sensei, I want you to cum for me.” Ren opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue, and that was enough to break Maruki. He cried out as he came, unable to control even a single muscle as he covered Ren’s face, lips, and tongue. Ren stroked him through it, squeezing out every last drop. Even covered in cum, he managed a snarky grin up at Maruki.

Catching his breath, the static in Maruki’s brain started to fade, and reality set in once again. “AH!! I’m so sorry, I have towels, hang on!” He fished one from the shelf, coming to sit with Ren on the floor. He patted down Ren’s face lightly, carefully avoiding his eyes. “I’m so sorry, this is so- degrading, I don’t know what came over me, I just-”

Ren snickered. “Well I know what came all over me.” They both paused a beat and Maruki couldn’t hold back a nervous laugh, mostly relieved that things weren’t awkward between the two of them. He finished cleaning Ren as best he could, throwing the towel behind him into the sink.

“Er- feel free to shower. There are more clean towels, we can talk about things once you’re finished.”

“Would you join me?” Ren shifted, his arousal obvious in his pants. 

Maruki paused, and smiled softly. “If you’ll have me.” He reached down and took Ren’s hand in his, pulling him to his feet.

The heat of the shower was rejuvenating. Maruki stared as Ren pulled the mop of wet hair back and out of his eyes, the water dripping down his pale skin. Ren laughed, crossing his arms. “You look like you want to say something.”

“I… want to kiss you.”

“Then do it.”

The doctor took Ren’s chin in his hand, gently lifting it as he leaned forward and pressed their lips together. There was no desperation in it this time, no urgency. Just kisses, slow and deep and _wonderful_. Maruki pulled back, peppering Ren’s face and neck with light kisses beneath the water’s spray. He reached his hands up Ren’s body, running his fingertips over the boy’s nipples, teasing them gently.

“Hhaa-” Ren moaned, half covering his mouth with his hand.

Maruki smiled, nuzzling his face against Ren’s and speaking softly into his ear. “I’m not going to fuck you. But I want to return the favor, if that’s alright with you.”

Ren swallowed hard, nodded, and Maruki got down on his knees.

_Ren spent a long time in the shower with Maruki._


	6. Lending a Hand

The apartment seemed brighter, Maruki thought, basking in both his afterglow and the sunshine coming through his living room window. It was nice… having another voice in his apartment. Ren kept picking up little knick-knacks, asking about their origins and commenting on how they were ‘so him’.

Ren’s smile was infectious. Maruki humored him as he buttoned his shirt and fixed his collar, winding tales of late night trinket shopping, gifts from friends he’d not seen in awhile, and Rumi… He felt a pang of hurt at one object in-particular that Ren now held in his hands: a small puppy dog statue with a blue charm in its paws. It’d been a get-well present from his ex-fiancée while he’d been sick during the week leading up to his final exams. Maruki hummed, a soft, nostalgic expression on his face as he stared at the thing.

Ren paused, an unspoken understanding passing between the two. “You don’t have to talk to me about it if it’s… y’know. Hard.”

Maruki smiled. “It’s alright. That was a gift from Rumi, it was quite some time ago I received it. Just thinking about how I’d felt back then… it seemed like those were the hardest things in the world- illness, exams… it’s fascinating how our perspective changes as we experience more things in life.”

“But you got through it, Maruki-sensei.”

Maruki waved his hand in front of him, brushing Ren off. “It was kid stuff. And you don’t need to call me sensei.”

Ren slowly placed the statue back on the shelf with care. “But like you said. At the time, those were the hardest things you’d ever gone through, weren’t they? But you did it, you made it through that with your own will. And I think…” He ran his thumb over the puppy’s porcelain ear. “I think that’s something to be proud of.”

Maruki’s expression faltered, his gaze turned down to the floor, mumbling a soft “perhaps”. He understood what Ren was getting at, he just wasn’t ready to face that line of thought. Menial issues were nothing in the face of real tragedies… so the same principles don’t hold true in every situation. And yet, Ren had fed him back the same advice he’d been giving others for years. Hearing those words from someone else was like being given a very bitter medicine. He could understand the sour faces a little better now.

A loud knock at the door snapped them both out of their thoughts. They exchanged quick glances at one another, both fixing their attention at the door a few paces away. Maruki held a finger to his lips, casting a hand down and standing perfectly still. They waited, and another series of knocks came louder, and more frantic.

Half a minute passed in utter silence, and they’d just begun to breathe again when a series of scratches froze them both in place. It sounded like metal scraping metal, the clicking and shifting making Ren’s blood run cold. _The lock!_ He waved frantically to Maruki, signaling a key turning in a lock and mouthing L-O-C-K. Maruki furrowed his brow, threw up his hands and shook his head, mouthing W-H-A-T? Ren shook his head and scanned the room for any possible weapons, knowing full well the ones he had brought were useless in the real world.

The door swung open with a BANG before he could find anything, hitting the interior wall hard. Maruki and Ren both jumped, taking a cautious step back. “W-who are you?!” Maruki yelled, fists balled at his sides.

“Yo.” A blonde boy stepped inside, kicking the door closed with the back of his foot. He dropped his silver lock-picking tools to the floor, stepping forward to meet them in the living room.

“Ryuji?!” Ren breathed, the tension releasing from his shoulders. “Thank god it’s you, we’re-“

“Wait.” Maruki put out his arm, stopping Ren from walking any further towards the boy. His concern met with a simmered anger, and his eyes narrowed in anticipation at the blonde.

Ryuji put his hands in his pockets, shrugging. “Sensei” he smiled, his grin wide and unbothered by their hesitance. “You missed our appointment!”

Tension hung heavy between the trio, Ryuji’s piercing yellow eyes stunning Ren where he stood. They were the same as Maruki’s were, back then… “H-he’s not- Ryuji, is he?” Oracle would know if she were here. Hell, she’d have been able to see him coming from a mile away! Ren scowled, the reality being that they were on their own for this one. Alone… for now, anyways.

“We need to get to Odaiba.” Maruki murmured under his breath, not daring to break his stare at the enemy.

The thrum of their heartbeats were the only things breaking the silence of the room, all three of them locked in their stances, daring another to make the first move.

Maruki’s finger barely twitched before Ryuji’s hand was at his belt, whipping out a large bladed knife. He held it at his side, only a few feet of distance standing between him and his prey, as he edged closer.

“W-wait, Ryuji-“ Ren stuttered, holding up a hand in de-escalation.

The blonde chuckled, his body low and coiled, ready to strike. “You had your chances. Now you’re just in the way!”

“Watch out!” Maruki yelled, the two jumping apart as Ryuji lunged forward, knife aimed at Maruki’s gut. He avoided the attack by mere centimeters, barely a moment to spare before Ryuji leapt forward again, stopped only by Ren’s arm wrapped tightly around his throat from behind.

He choked and thrashed, his free hand grasping to free himself. Ren struggled to keep him steady, Ryuji’s elbow knocking off his attempts to restrain his other arm. “I’ll kill you-“ He choked out, swinging the knife back blindly, barely missing Ren’s head. 

Maruki moved to catch Ryuji by the wrist, just a moment too slow. Ryuji jammed the knife upwards and Maruki cried out, an ear-splitting holler of pain as the knife jammed through the flesh of his right palm.

Akira tightened his grip hard, panic setting in at Maruki’s anguish. Ryuji relinquished his grip on the knife to grasp at Ren’s arm, clawing desperately for air.

“Shit!” Maruki hissed, cradling his injured hand against his chest, the weight of the knife leaning against the wound excruciatingly. “Shit shit shit!!” He made the mistake of looking down, watching the steady stream of blood trickling down from his hand into a puddle on the floor. Panic set in, tears rising to his eyes while he fought the desperate urge to vomit.

“Sensei- _sensei_!!” Ren sounded so far away, every alarm bell in his head repeating ‘BLOOD’ until he couldn’t hear his own thoughts anymore. He couldn’t breathe, _he couldn’t breathe_. His vision blurred and he staggered, all his surroundings tinted yellow, before everything became nothing at all.

* * *

Ryuji still had a pulse when they’d left- Ren checked twice before laying his unconscious body down on the living room floor.

The taxi driver was shocked at first, the red stain quickly growing through the blanket Ren had wrapped the wound with. A few sweaty bills with a lot of zeros kept the driver’s questions at bay.

Takemi didn’t have time to be angry when Ren threw the door open, carrying a grown man on his shoulders. There was no sarcasm, no charm to her words as she ordered Ren to lock the doors and fetch her this and that. She wasn’t equipped for emergencies- only doing what she could to suture and disinfect the wound. Worst case scenario, she said, he’d lose the use of his hand.

…But they didn’t have time to deal with the police questionings. Takemi had once been in Ren’s debt for helping her out, and now Ren had used up that favor, and probably a hundred more. She folded her arms against her chest, frowning sternly at Maruki’s sleeping body. 

“I’m not gonna ask what you two are involved with, which is so bad you’re avoiding the police…” Takemi spoke, her gaze still focused on her patient, “but you’d better cut the shit. You’re clearly in way over your head.”

Ren sat, leaning his chin down on clasped hands. “…I’m sorry.”

They were off the moment Maruki opened his eyes, hailing a cab to face whatever awaited them in Odaiba.

* * *

“Welcome back, Maruki-sama.” The female shadow bowed her head low, gripping a clipboard in both hands. Every other white-clad worker followed suit, showing respect and gratitude to their ruler. Maruki smiled awkwardly and raised a hand in acknowledgement, walking through towards the waiting room.

Ren looked down at himself as he followed, noting the lack of change in his attire. He wasn’t considered a threat to Maruki; not this time. Maruki’s uniform had switched to the one he’d seen him in before: entirely white with a labcoat that reached his ankles, and hair pulled back revealing his dashing, sharp face. The only difference now being the white bandages that wrapped his right hand entirely.

He could tell that the wound was throbbing by the way Maruki would wince and freeze up on occasion, checking to make sure the wound hadn’t re-opened. Maruki had insisted on taking only mild painkillers, despite Takemi’s warnings. Had to be lucid enough for what was to come, he’d said. Ren was just glad he’d gotten him to agree to taking any at all.

“Ah, Maruki-sama!” A male shadow in the same lab-coat turned corner in front of them, bowing down to the doctor. “If I may, we managed to complete the additions to the lab while you were away. We took the liberty of updating our floor-plans, here is a copy.” He handed Maruki a folded pamphlet, and bowed once more.

Maruki furrowed his brow. “Who authorized this addition?”

Even without a face to show, the shadow’s eyes bore surprise. “None of us have so much as entered the area since completion. You… said it was off-limits?”

Ren felt bad for the being, its hands planted firmly at its side, its voice squeaking off in the face of uncertainty.

Maruki sighed, fronting a smile. “I appreciate the information. That will be all.”

The shadow bowed deeply, and swiftly took his leave. Ren walked closer, looking over the front of the pamphlet the doctor held. “Is it some sort of map?”

Maruki opened it up, scanning over the layout. “Mmm. This lower level… it’s where we need to go. He’s changed the very layout of the lab.”

“The cognition… changed your cognitive world? Can they even do that?”

Maruki folded the map and stuck it in his left pocket. “A cognition who became more than a cognition. He gained my powers, he gained a physical form through your friend…” He paused, closing his eyes and placing a finger to his temple. “It would be reasonable to believe he has developed desires twisted enough to have a palace in this place.”

Ren scratched his head awkwardly. “Your desires…”

“Are being amplified by that phony!” Maruki growled, his irritation seething through his words. “Do not misunderstand, I’m not some twisted sex-crazed lunatic seeking to create some sort of… delinquent paradise! Those desires are entirely different from my own.”

“Hey, I’m not saying that. I know that.”

The doctor swallowed, leaning back against the wall. “I don’t want to be remembered this way. I’ll fix things after we’re through here.” He fixated his gaze on the pattern of a floor tile, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Ren scowled. “Not if that means what I think it means.”

“It doesn’t matter anyways.” Maruki blinked, his expression hardened. “This is how things need to be. I don’t expect someone of your maturity to understand, but that’s the way it is.”

Ren clenched his fists, scoffing at his companion. “You wanna talk about maturity? You have no idea the hell we went through. The _tragedies_ we all overcame to get to this point.” Ren’s memories, each and every trauma… they’d burned bridges in his life and in his mind, but created footpaths to so many wonderful things. Life was precious simply _because_ it was so flawed, and because people chose to be good despite everything evil that was at their feet. The strength that people had inside of themselves, the compassion that they showed to others… those were the things they’d been fighting for. What passion is there in a world scripted to force those who would pursue their dreams to discard them in favor of the easier path? What use is hope in a world without woes, what use is drive in a world without competition? In the end, Maruki had created a stale, cheap replica of happiness- and Ren was having none of it.

“You call me immature, but at least one of us has the courage to move on with his life! You’re just, isolating yourself in your little fantasy world!” Ren’s anger flared and flickered like a candle, until he saw the sorrow in the doctor’s expression.

Maruki grit his teeth, turning and taking a step forward down the hallway. He hesitated and paused, his back turned to the phantom thief. “If you think this world is what I would’ve chosen for myself- my ‘fantasy’, then it seems we truly do not understand one another.”

“W-wait, Maruki-sensei,” Ren stuttered, jogging to catch up to him.

Maruki continued forward, not checking (or caring) to see if Ren followed. “It’s fine. Let’s just do what we need to do, the entrance should be up ahead.”

Ren frowned. He knew that tone well, being the head of such a messed-up group. Sometimes you had to swallow your own feelings and be the leader that other people need. Even if you want to cry, or scream, or get angry… it would only add to the others’ burdens. He didn’t regret what he’d meant, but he certainly felt a pit of emptiness for the way that he’d said it. He followed behind Maruki a few feet back, biting back an apology he knew wouldn’t mean a thing.

…Maybe he really didn’t understand Maruki at all.

The entrance to the new area was nearly identical to those built around the palace already- large clear automatic doors, with what seemed to be a hand-scanner at the side. Maruki stepped up to it, awkwardly placing his left hand up to the sensor. The scanner pinged, and a cheerful female voice spoke “Scan accepted! As an enhanced measure, please answer the following security question: who was your first kiss?”

Maruki stared dead-pan, grumbling out an annoyed “Shi-chan”.

“Thank you! Your response has been accepted. Welcome back!”

Joker raised a brow at him. “Shi-chan?” He questioned, wondering if that meant who he thought it did. Maruki waved him off, stepping forward through the doors.

Just how many more of his personal thoughts were going to be revealed, and just how much more were they going to be blown out of proportion? He bit his lip, eyeing a set of spiral stairs leading down further than he could see.

When they’d finally reached the bottom, the only entrance was a large, rounded wooden door. Maruki hesitated, his hand lingering over the doorknob, before he shook off his doubts and moved onward. Whatever it was, he had a much better chance of facing it with an extra pair of hands. Especially… considering the state his were in. He closed his eyes, smiling slightly. He needed to end the awkward silence that hung over the two, at the very least. “Listen, I apologize for my earlier outburst. It wasn’t productive, and we’re going to need to work together moving forward here. So if there’s anything you’d like to say, I’m open to listen.”

Ren nodded, crossing his arms. “I stand by my words when I say we all need to face our realities. That opinion hasn’t changed…” He could see Maruki’s expression falter, but he forced the corners of his mouth back in place quickly.

“I see. That’s just like you.”

“Sensei… I want to help you too.” It hurt his heart to have to say it, and the fake smile he got in return hurt even worse. When a person gets close to someone, it makes them vulnerable; it opens them up and ultimately leads to a lot of suffering. Sadness, longing, worry, regret… there are a lot of feelings that come with the ones we strive for in love and friendship. Maruki wouldn’t allow anyone in, he wanted to cure the world of its vulnerabilities and insecurities… which meant that Maruki would face his problems alone. Ren’s heart ached for him… and for humanity. But would saving one come at the expense of the other?

The two of them squinted at the light flooding into the chamber as Maruki swung the door open, holding up an arm to shield their eyes. Ren blinked twice, gasping at the vast extravagance of the hall they’d just entered. White stone made up the walls and pillars, all of which stretched almost higher than the eye could see. Multiple large, ornate oval windows stretched tall across the walls, many of which were designed in shades of different colors.

Maruki gulped, looking from the stained glass, to the large cross hanging on the far wall. The place was unmistakably, painfully familiar. “Let’s destroy this thing and get out of here fast.” He left off the desperate _please_ that nearly rolled off his tongue.

“Woah, sensei…” Ren spoke, looking the man up and down.

“What’s…?” Maruki trailed off, staring down at his own clothes. He donned a large, black coat with a billowing neck, wrapping around his shoulders like a shawl. It lay unbuttoned, revealing a tight grey vest atop a white shirt, and a deep red cravat hanging loosely from his neck. A black tophat rested on his poofy hair, with a tight, thin black mask around his eyes. Lace extended down from the right part of his mask, woven into a hanging diamond laying delicately against his cheekbone like a single tear.

He patted himself down, bewildered. “Why am I… wearing this?”

Ren giggled, donning his own thieves costume. “It’s your rebellion. Your resolve to overcome and carve your own path.” He couldn’t get past the cravat, of all things. It was so poofy and old-looking and ridiculously Maruki.

“Incredible… to think that a palace can have this kind of effect. To dig so far into your own psyche as to ascertain clothing to match one’s own inner strength. The world truly is an incredible place…”

Ren rolled his eyes, grinning. At least the doc sounded like his old self again. “You look like something out of Jekyll and Hyde, or Count Dracula, or something.”

Maruki hummed, crossing his arms. “Dr. Jekyll was ahead of his time. A tragedy, really.”

“Then that’ll be your codename from now on, Jekyll.”

It wasn’t the worst, Maruki thought. He held out his uninjured hand, balling it into a tight fist in front of him. It brought a small smile to his face, the materialization of his resolve. That’s right… there was nothing holding him back from righting the wrongs that had come into the world. He just had to find the courage to face it. He could make everything right again if he tried hard enough.

“So we’re using code-names now, huh? Does that mean I should call you Joker?”

Ren paused, looking at Maruki suspiciously. “Wait, how did you?”

The doctor shrugged, smiling mischievously as he turned away to begin their infiltration.

“You’re such a peeping Tom.” Ren sulked, following behind Maruki with a bit of a spring in his step. They could take care of the cognitive Maruki just fine… it was the real one he was worried about the most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK you for sticking with me, they're finally in that damned palace! I'm so, so happy to be able to write Maruki as a PT, I figure since Futaba got a different outfit from her palace ruler form, it made sense for Maruki to have one too. And if you haven't watched Jekyll and Hyde the Musical, here's my high recommendation for it! <3


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